South Africa needs a referendum to finally resolve the land question

South Africa stands at a historical crossroads. The unresolved land question has become a national crisis amid high levels of unemployment, poverty, inequality and uneven spatial development, with the victims of colonisation and apartheid the worst affected.

- Solly Mapaila

The resolution of the land question demands a bold, democratic solution. That solution is a referendum, a national decision by the people to bring justice to a country still shackled by the legacy of colonial dispossession and apartheid robbery.

This is why the recent bilateral session between the SACP and Contralesa (Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA) reached an unequivocal resolution: “We will each, and together, drive a national campaign for a land ownership transformation referendum”. All South Africans who believe in justice and equality, including land justice and equitable access, must rally behind this cause.

Since the adoption of the Constitution in 1996, efforts at land restitution, redistribution and tenure security have failed to deliver meaningful transformation. By August 2024, just over 9.2-million hectares had been transferred. While additions have followed, they remain grossly inadequate. Consider that SA spans more than 121-million hectares. The amount redistributed is a drop in the ocean, a fraction of what is justly due.